Aircraft Carriers

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the effects of the aircraft carrier programme on funding for other major defence procurement projects.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's annual planning process reviews the affordability of all equipment projects and other defence expenditure. This process is not, however, a question of "one programme versus another" but of how best our overall capability priorities can be matched to the resources available. The future carriers remain key elements of our equipment programme.

Targets

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many targets have been set in each year since 1997 by the Department; and, of these, which have been (a) met, (b) nearly met, (c) not met, (d) changed and (e) dropped.

Adam Ingram: The Department's targets and performance against them are set out in the MOD's annual performance reports, copies of which are in the Library of the
	House.

Nepal

Clare Short: To ask the Prime Minister whether he is taking charge of UK policy on Nepal following King Gyanendra's coup; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 February 2005, Official Report, column 1460W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Foreign Office (Mr. Alexander) to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr. Simmonds). The Government have taken a clear position on the actions of King Gyanendra, and all concerned Departments are co-ordinating the Government's response closely.

Aid Conditionality

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made with the review of Government policy on aid conditionality; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: At the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank on 2 October 2004, I launched a consultation process on the draft UK policy paper "Partnerships for Poverty Reduction: changing aid conditionally". Comments were received from around 90 individuals and organisations. I also chaired a consultation meeting with NGO representatives. We are now concluding the consultation process and plan to publish a final version in the near future.

Departmental Spending

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest estimate is of unallocated departmental spending in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, and (c) 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Gentlemen for Yeovil to the answer provided by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on Wednesday 2 February 2005, Official Report, column 91OW.

Electronic Barter

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the (a) economic and (b) social opportunities afforded to developing countries by electronic barter and bilateral exchange mechanisms; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID is aware of the international increase in electronic barter, and electronic trade exchanges. E-barter and e-payments are private sector initiatives, and international and local businesses will pursue economic opportunities in developing countries as they arise. DFID's activities in international trade policy, and capacity building, have not so far focused on electronic barter, or bilateral exchange mechanisms of this nature. DFID's trade strategy is being finalised at present, but there have been no requests from stakeholders in counterpart governments to include e-barter issues.
	DFID's concern on electronic exchanges, including the movement of funds, relate to the access of the poor and unbanked to electronic money and payment mechanisms. Access to electronic payment mechanisms is limited to those with access to bank accounts and credit cards in many cases, which currently excludes the majority of the world's poor. DFID's current focus on "banking the unbanked" is consistent with preparing the way for the poor to benefit from electronic payment mechanisms.

Gender Gap

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the gender gap among staff in his Department.

Hilary Benn: DFID carried out an equal pay audit in 2003 for staff below the Senior Civil Service. No significant gaps were found. A summary of the review will be placed in the Libraries of the House shortly. The document will be entitled "Equal Pay Audit, Department for International Development, April 2003".

HIV/AIDS (Children)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure that his Department's field offices are able to track the spending of the £150 million allocated to meeting the needs of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children;
	(2)  what indicators will be used to monitor the spending of the £150 million allocated to meeting the needs of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children; and when such monitoring will take place.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: From 1 January 2005 DFID has introduced a new input sector code for "Social protection for orphans and vulnerable children" to enable DFID staff to properly track and monitor the £150 million commitment. Activities to be captured under this code include:
	Legislation, institutional building, special programmes for orphans, street children, children vulnerable to HIV and AIDS and other vulnerable children, cash transfers to vulnerable families, exemption from school/health centre fees, food security and livelihoods, combating child labour.

In-house Magazines

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: DFID has an electronic equivalent of an "in-house" magazine though our internal "Intranet" since 2004. This replaced a printed newsletter, which had been defunct since the late 1990s. The costs of the electronic magazine are subsumed within the running costs of the Intranet team and could not be separated out without disproportionate cost.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the licensing system for houses of multiple occupation will come into force.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects the licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) will come into force in October 2005, subject to passage of the relevant secondary legislation.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently consulting on the proposals for implementation of the HMO licensing scheme in the consultation paper "Licensing in the Private Rented Sector—Consultation on the Implementation of HMO Licensing". The closing date for responses was 9 February.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004;
	(2)  if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.

Anne McGuire: All special advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".
	None of the special advisers who were in post during this period gave or made any attributable interviews or articles in their official capacity between the dates mentioned.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether departmental special advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: Any speeches made by special advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Agricultural Prices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the National Farmers Union on setting minimum prices for sourcing of agricultural produce in the UK.

Alun Michael: No discussions have taken place between the National Farmers Union and the Secretary of State, or other Defra ministers, on setting minimum prices for UK sourced agricultural produce. There has been some correspondence between the National Beef Association and Ministers on beef prices.
	The Government take the view that the prices negotiated between farmers and purchasers are largely a private, commercial matter between the parties concerned. In 1999–2000, the Competition Commission carried out an extensive investigation into supermarkets which concluded that, taking all matters into consideration, the industry was broadly competitive and that, overall, excessive prices were not being charged nor excessive profits earned.
	However, it identified a number of practices engaged in by the larger supermarkets which, because of their buyer power, adversely affected the competitiveness of some of their suppliers. The recommendation of a Code of Practice was accepted and a came into force in March 2002. The Office of Fair Trading have reviewed the effectiveness of the code and are currently carrying out an audit of supermarket practice. They hope to complete this shortly.

Cockling (Morecambe Bay)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries will make an official visit to the Morecambe Bay Lifeboat to discuss cockling in Morecambe Bay.

Ben Bradshaw: I have agreed to meet the hon. Member, with the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale, to discuss Morecambe Bay issues.

European Environment Agency

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the activity of the European Environment Agency in the UK in the last 12 months; and if she will list the publications and newsletters published by the Agency over that period.

Elliot Morley: The European Environment Agency (EEA) does not operate directly within its member countries. Most of its work is carried out through contractual arrangements with national organisations. The EEA coordinates this activity within the UK and elsewhere mainly through the European environment information and observation network (Eionet), which is a partnership network of over 900 experts and over 300 organisations in 37 countries. Additionally, the EEA has established five European topic centres to support data collection, management and analysis. One of these (for water) is a consortium of institutions headed by WRc PLC, based in the UK. The EEA is responsible for developing the network and coordinating its activities. The UK network within Eionet consists of nine main institutions either contracted to carry out work for the EEA or supplying expertise and data to fulfil national reporting obligations. Coordination of the national network within the UK and liaison with the EEA is done by the National Focal Point (NFP) based in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who also supply the UK representative on the EEA Management Board. The UK NFP also produces a twice yearly newsletter to keep contacts and other interested stakeholders up to date on EEA activities.
	In 2004 the EEA published 23 reports, technical reports and briefings on environmental topics in paper form, listed in Table 1. In addition the Agency published a brochure 'Eionet connects', detailing the workings of the network. The EEA makes these reports and many other documents available on its website, including its Annual Reports and Annual Management Plans.
	
		Table 1: EEA Publications January 2004 to January 2005 inclusive
		
			 Report Publication Date Type 
		
		
			 Annual European Community CLRTAP emission inventory 1990–2002 05 January 2005 Technical report No. 6/2004 
			 Analysis of Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2004—Draft 21 December 2004 Technical report No. 7/2004 
			 Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2004 21 December 2004 EEA Report No. 5 /2004 
			 Air pollution and climate change policies in Europe: exploring linkages and the added value of an integrated approach 16 November 2004 Technical report No. 5/2004 
			 EEA Briefing 4 -2004—Transport biofuels: exploring links with the energy and agriculture sectors 10 November 2004 Briefing No. 4/2004 
			 Analysis of greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2003 26 October 2004 Technical report No. 4/2004 
			 EEA Briefing 3 -2004—Transport and environment in Europe 19 October 2004 Briefing No. 3/2004 
			 10 key transport and environment issues for policy-makers 19 October 2004 EEA Report No. 3/2004 
			 Transport price signals 20 September 2004 Technical report No. 3/2004 
			 Impacts of Europe's changing climate 18 August 2004 EEA Report No. 2/2004 
			 Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2002 and inventory report 2004 14 July 2004 Technical report No. 2/2004 
			 EEA Briefing 2 -2004—Energy subsidies and renewables 04 July 2004 Briefing No. 2/2004 
			 Energy subsidies in the European Union: A brief overview 03 June 2004 Technical report No.1/2004 
			 EEA Signals 2004 01 June 2004  
			 An inventory of biodiversity indicators in Europe, 2002 12 May 2004 Technical report No 92 
			 High nature value farmland—Characteristics, trends and policy challenges 29 April 2004 EEA report No. 1/2004 
			 Agriculture and the environment in the EU accession countries—Implications of applying the EU common agricultural policy 28 April 2004 Environmental issue report No. 37 
			 Exploring the ancillary benefits of the Kyoto Protocol for air pollution in Europe 13 April 2004 Technical report No. 93 
			 Air pollution in Europe 1990–2000 31 March 2004 Topic report No. 4 /2003 
			 Mapping the impacts of recent natural disasters and technological accidents in Europe 23 March 2004 Environmental issue report No. 35 
			 Arctic environment: European perspectives 15 March 2004 Environmental issue report No. 38/2003 
			 EEA Briefing 1/2004—Halting the loss of biodiversity in Europe 09 February 2004 Briefing No. 1/2004 
			 EMEP/CORINAIR Emission Inventory Guidebook—Third edition, October 2003 update 19 January 2004 Technical report No. 30 
		
	
	Note:
	Reports are available from the EEA Website: http://reports.eea.eu.int/index table?sort=Published

Farming Subsidy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount of subsidy received by the British farming industry was in each of the last three years; how much will be paid in the next three years; from which funding sources this money originates; how much was received from (a) market regimes and (b) import tariffs; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Figures for subsidy received by the British farming industry in each of the last three years and forecasts of amounts to be paid in the next three years are set out in the table.
	These forecasts are based on the position as at 30 November 2004 and do not take into account the Ministerial Statement of 1 December 2004 concerning the future of the Over Thirty Month Scheme.
	The figures for import tariffs have been provided by HM Customs and Excise. Customs and agricultural duties within the common Customs Tariff constitute own resources of the European Union.
	Net receipts of agricultural duties for the past three years are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2001–02 305 
			 2002–03 305 
			 2003–04 341 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise Trust Statement
	Since 1 January 2001, member states may retain 25 per cent. of these duties by way of collection costs.
	However, agricultural levies are not forecast separately into the future. It is combined with Customs duties under the heading "customs duties and levies". The figure for Customs duties and levies for 2004–05 is £2.1 billion and the forecast for 2005–06 is £2.1 billion (announced at the pre-Budget in December 2004).
	
		Farming subsidies PQ—British farming industry subsidy expenditure on farm-based schemes
		
			 £000 
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 England—CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes 1,331,478 1,351,929 1,578,672 1,830,035 1,698,819 1,672,124 
			 England Rural Development 148,871 198,345 220,357 251,000 284,403 285,553 
			 Scotland 329,600 380,273 409,275 395,694 430,000 448,216 
			 Wales 156,348 139,196 220,919 203,195 222,340 221,860 
			 Northern Ireland 159,467 183,565 197,077 209,090 233,044 247,795 
			 Forestry Commission 9,554 14,175 10,325 12,560 13,220 13,220 
			 Over Thirty Months Scheme payments to farmers 191,690 245,178 196,466 178,691 181,268 174,740 
			 Total 2,327,008 2,512,661 2,833,091 3,080,265 3,063,094 3,063,508 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes in the UK are 100 per cent. funded by the EC.
	2. Rural development in England and OTMS is co-funded by the EC and UK Exchequer.
	3. Payments made by Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Forestry Commission cover expenditure incurred on both CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes (100 per cent. EC funded) and rural development schemes (co-funded by the EC and the UK Exchequer).
	
		Farming subsidies PQ—British farming industry subsidy expenditure on principal farm-based non-BSE schemes
		
			 £000 
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 England—Pillar 1 Farm based(2) 1,331,478 1,351,929 1,578,672 1,830,035 1,698,819 1,672,124 
			 England Rural Development—EC funded 59,029 73,388 83,717 100,000 118,400 185,100 
			 England Rural Development—UK funded 89,842 124,957 136,640 151,000 166,003 100,453 
			 Scotland(3) 329,600 380,273 409,275 395,694 430,000 448,216 
			 Wales(3) 156,348 139,196 220,919 203,195 222,340 221,860 
			 Northern Ireland(3) 159,467 183,565 197,077 209,090 233,044 247,795 
			 Total 2,125,764 2,253,308 2,626,300 2,889,014 2,868,606 2,875,548 
		
	
	(2) CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes in the UK are 100 per cent. funded by the EC.
	(3) Payments made by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cover expenditure incurred on both CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes and rural development schemes.
	Note:
	This table excludes all disease control and public health measures.

Fuel Poverty

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on tackling fuel poverty in each year since 1997 in (a) England and (b) Stoke-on-Trent.

Elliot Morley: The Warm Front Scheme the major programme to tackle fuel poverty in the private sector in England, was launched in June 2000. From that time until the end of January 2005 the annual expenditure on Warm Front in England was:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Approximate total spend 
		
		
			 2000–01 72 
			 2001–02 197 
			 2002–03 163 
			 2003–04 164 
		
	
	The budget available for 2004–05 is £169 million.
	The total approximate expenditure on Warm Front in Stoke-on-Trent Central during that period was:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2000–01 65,700 
			 2001–02 1,120,000 
			 2002–03 626,000 
			 2003–04 615,000 
			 2004–05(4) 388,000 
		
	
	(4) Up to end of January 2005.
	Annual Expenditure under the previous Home Energy Efficiency Scheme from June 1997 and May 2000 was approximately £60 million.
	The annual estimated expenditure in Stoke-on-Trent Central during that period was:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Estimated expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 70,400 
			 1998–99 102,500 
			 1999–2000 133,700

Intervention Prices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent from EU funds in (a) intervention purchases and (b) export restitution for each agricultural product for each year since 1992.

Alun Michael: Details of expenditure from EU funds on intervention purchases for each year since 1992 are shown in table I.
	The RPA does not hold details of expenditure on export refunds during 1992 following the introduction of a redeveloped computer system in 1993. Details of expenditure on export refunds since 1993, for each agricultural product sector, are shown at table II.
	
		Table I: Intervention purchases—1992–93 to 2003–04
		
			 £000 
			  Beef Butter Cereals Milk powder 
		
		
			 1992–93 194,293 3,958 86,585 0 
			 1993–94 10,574 10,482 142,162 8,724 
			 1994–95 0 0 2,398 1,944 
			 1995–96 0 0 128 0 
			 1996–97 158,581 12,727 1,187 50,706 
			 1997–98 114,881 0 44,912 35,189 
			 1998–99 7,470 0 72,969 37,687 
			 1999–2000 0 18,271 9,960 17,940 
			 2000–01 0 2,454 1,429 0 
			 2001–02 0 6,022 68 3,680 
			 2002–03 0 0 7,625 17,809 
			 2003–04 0 0 0 26,869 
		
	
	
		Table II: Export refund paid from EU funds—calendar years 1993–2005 £000
		
			  Sugar Oils Eggs Poultry Pigmeat Beef 
		
		
			 1993 83,238.59 6.02 408.13 2,653.61 1,911.96 64,078.03 
			 1994 68,648.35 37.82 280.97 3,096.58 2,411.80 67,238.02 
			 1995 73,642.11 253.48 279.39 2,379.32 1,916.56 103,562.50 
			 1996 61,765.04 17.49 152.92 823.20 1,781.20 12,158.00 
			 1997 60,804.29 221.21 121.85 435.23 650.92 321.49 
			 1998 96,330.92 1.98 234.41 323.58 1,638.92 66.36 
			 1999 97,653.86 0 308.03 524.04 2,919.97 0 
			 2000 71,863.11 0 235.11 199.71 2,973.00 52.46 
			 2001 70,527.24 0 191.61 51.53 423.82 25.45 
			 2002 74,105.46 0 216.02 97.01 268.74 23.82 
			 2003 87,869.39 0 172.57 68.48 326.38 20.79 
			 2004 123,623.66 0 174.68 56.73 557.54 18.01 
			 2005 15,329.92 0 18.27 7.11 41.40 1.11 
		
	
	
		
			  Milk and milk products Fresh fruit and veg. Processed fruit and veg. Cereals Rice Non annex I 
		
		
			 1993 100,251.72 32.61 1,437.32 197,279.64 27.57 53,635.54 
			 1994 116,244.68 56.72 1,488.88 129,084.78 29.13 57,087.21 
			 1995 100,842.41 41.86 1,287.57 49,184.23 22.62 51,411.23 
			 1996 90,735.61 28.99 1,225.68 20,707.53 30.14 48,511.61 
			 1997 141,062.39 19.53 847.76 40,470.45 21.17 39,819.17 
			 1998 97,627.47 15.53 813.13 25,904.26 6.41 37,885.90 
			 1999 73,431.78 22.03 716.50 55,130.30 1.61 39,420.37 
			 2000 70,824.56 21.51 689.50 39,155.24 7.78 32,738.33 
			 2001 34,986.88 18.43 554.27 3,137.64 12.25 24,155.42 
			 2002 55,298.03 16.16 473.99 161.36 9.79 32,679.64 
			 2003 85,494.36 15.54 662.78 4,949.37 9.07 25,952.53 
			 2004 71,399.08 0 406.60 120.04 2.69 24,792.77 
			 2005 5,115.22 0.83 27.72 44.33 0 1,969.13

Sewage Discharge

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency collects on discharges of sewage into rivers; which rivers are monitored; and what data are collected in each case.

Elliot Morley: Defra obtains aggregated information from the Environment Agency on compliance of sewage treatment works in England and Wales with their discharge consents. This information is published in the e-Digest of Environmental Statistics at the following Defra website location:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/inlwater/iwdischcmp.htm
	Information on individual river stretches is available in the "What's in your backyard" section at the following Environment Agency website location:
	http://216.31.193.171/asp/1 introduction.asp?language =English
	The Environment Agency routinely monitors about 40,000 kilometres of running freshwaters representing almost the whole of the river and canal system in England and Wales. Monitoring data include chemical and biological parameters reported annually and included in the Government's headline quality of life indicators, and concentrations of phosphate and nitrate.
	The aesthetic quality of the water environment, including sewage derived waste, is monitored at about 450 sites.
	The Environment Agency is currently establishing a system requiring sewerage companies to provide information on daily flows of treated effluent discharges from sewage works. This will enable the Agency to compile information on how much treated effluent is discharged on a monthly and yearly basis. This system is expected to be in place by April 2006.

Soil/Ground Water Pollution

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned on the duration of damage to (a) soil and (b) ground water on land that was used for (i) munitions production or (ii) fireworks production; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency has published two documents regarding the potential for contamination of land at former explosives manufacturing sites (including fireworks). Both deal with the characteristics of the potential contaminants at such sites. This includes their solubility and biodegradability which can be used to indicate the likelihood of them persisting at the site and the methods required to investigate and remediate such contamination.
	These reports are:
	R and D Technical Report P5–042/TR/03
	Land Contamination: Technical Guidance on Special Sites: Explosives Manufacturing and Processing Sites.
	Project Record P5–036/01
	Collation of Toxicological Data and Development of Guideline Values for Explosive Substances, Collation of Physicochemical data.
	This second document is the first step in the production of Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) Soil Guideline Values.
	The Agency has also produced general guidance on the assessment of natural attenuation (the dispersion or breakdown) of contaminants in groundwater:
	R and D Publication 95
	Guidance on the Assessment and Monitoring of Natural Attenuation of Contaminants in Groundwater
	Defra has two publications in its "Industry Profiles" series on munitions and firework production. This series provides information on the processes, materials and waste associated with individual industries, with respect to land contamination:
	Chemical Works: explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics manufacturing works;
	Engineering Works: mechanical engineering and ordnance works.

Staff Training

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: Through its Learning and Development Strategy Defra links training opportunities closely to its current and future business needs and provides access to training to develop staff to their full potential.
	The costs of centrally provided learning and development opportunities in each year since Defra was created were:
	
		
			£ 
			  Staff training Staff development Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 570,779 70,825 641,604 
			 2001–02 1,012,178 28,792 1,040,970 
			 2002–03 1,400,279 (5)183,784 1,584,063 
			 2003–04 462,749 (5)1,237,291 1,700,040 
			 2004–05 170,899 (5)2,493,914 2,664,813 
			  3,616,884 4,014,606 7,631,490 
		
	
	(5) Includes Senior Management Leadership Development Programme

Waste Management

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of introducing a zero waste strategy;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with (a) municipalities in other countries and (b) local authorities in the United Kingdom that have adopted zero waste strategies;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the use of zero waste strategies in (a) municipalities in other countries and (b) local authorities in the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: No assessment has been made by government of the cost or benefits of introducing a zero waste strategy.
	No specific discussions have taken place with (a) municipalities in other countries and (b) local authorities in the United Kingdom, on zero waste strategies and no assessments have been made of the use of such strategies.
	"Waste Strategy 2000" set out the Government's priorities for sustainable waste management. The Government's response to the Strategy Unit Report "Waste Not Want Not" identified further steps to be taken to help deliver our priorities and targets. Although "Waste Strategy 2000" is not a zero waste strategy (either zero waste to landfill, or a totally closed resource cycle), it does demand substantial waste minimisation, and significantly increased levels of re-use and recycling.
	Local authorities in England are encouraged to adopt a waste strategy that is in line with the waste hierarchy in "Waste Strategy 2000", which prioritises waste reduction, re-use and recycling.

World Economic Forum (Davos)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her presentation to the World Economic Forum in Davos on 27 January 2005, and the outcome of the meeting.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State appeared alongside the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the Leader of the House of Lords, and the Government Chief Scientist Sir David King in three separate workshops on Climate Change at Davos.
	Reports on the sessions attended by the Secretary of State can be found at: www.weforum.org/annual meeting/summaries2005.

Child Trust Funds (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in Coventry south will benefit from the child trust fund.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Battersea (Martin Linton) on 30 November 2004, Official Report, columns 87–88W. All children born and living in the UK since 1 September 2002 whose families receive child benefit will be eligible for the Child Trust Fund.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on how many occasions departmental Ministers have used the Queen's flight in each of the past five years;
	(2)  how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Stephen Timms: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course. "Travel by Ministers" makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. Equivalent detail about domestic travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what average length of time posts were vacant in the Community Dental Service for each year since 1997, in (a) England, (b) strategic health authorities and (c) primary care trusts; and what the vacancy rate was in each case.

Rosie Winterton: The information that is available centrally is collected in the national health service workforce vacancy survey and combines hospital, public health and community dentists. In March 2004, the vacancy rate from the survey for dental staff was 4.1 per cent. The only breakdown available is by strategic health authority (SHA). This is shown in the table.
	
		Three monthly dental staff vacancy rates in NHS trusts by SHA areas(10) (excluding training grades)
		
			 SHA Percentage rate 
		
		
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 6.1 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (11)— 
			 Essex 14.3 
			 North West London 0.0 
			 North Central London 0.0 
			 North East London 3.6 
			 South East London 2.3 
			 South West London 0.0 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 4.1 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley (11)— 
			 North and East Yorks and Northern Lincs 18.3 
			 West Yorkshire 8.6 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 0.0 
			 Greater Manchester 5.3 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 0.0 
			 Thames Valley 6.8 
			 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight 0.0 
			 Kent and Medway —(11) 
			 Surrey and Sussex 0.0 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 0.0 
			 South West Peninsula 5.3 
			 Dorset and Somerset 0.0 
			 South Yorkshire 6.5 
			 Trent 9.4 
			 Leics, Northants and Rutland 15.7 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 0.0 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 0.0 
			 West Midlands South 0.0 
			 England 4.1 
		
	
	(10) SHA figures are based on trusts and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare.
	(11) Figures where staff in post and number of vacancies are less than 10. Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2004 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents).
	Source:
	Department of Health vacancies survey 2004.

Draper Report

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines, to be published;
	(2)  when the data on which the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines is based was first received by his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the data on which the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines is based; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions his Department has held with (a) charities, (b) patient groups, (c) other organisations and (d) representatives of the power industry regarding the potential implications of the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines;
	(5)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the data on which the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines is based;
	(6)  if he will list the organisations with whom his Department has held meetings regarding the implications of the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines.

Melanie Johnson: A draft paper by Dr. Draper of Childhood Cancer Research Group at Oxford University into possible links between power lines and childhood leukaemia was submitted to a scientific journal and officials in the Department in November 2004. In accordance with the usual practice, publication will follow the appropriate peer review process and the publication date rests with the publishers. It would be inappropriate to comment on unpublished data, but we will ask the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to consider the results when published.
	The NRPB's "Advice on Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields" (Documents of the NRPB Vol 15 No 2 2004) noted that below the guidelines
	"an association between prolonged exposure to intense power frequency magnetic fields and a small raised risk of childhood leukaemia has, however, been found, the scientific reasons for which are presently uncertain. In the light of these findings and the requirement for additional research, the need for precautionary measures should be considered by Government".
	On the basis of this commendation precautionary measures are currently being considered by departmental officials in association with a large number of stakeholders including other Government Departments, the devolved administrations, the electricity supply industry, the electricity supply regulators and a number of non-government organisations and public concern groups.

Elective Surgery

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned regarding the complication rates following elective surgery paid for by the NHS and carried out in (a) NHS hospitals and (b) private hospitals.

John Hutton: No specific research has been commissioned by the Department. However, the national Confidential inquiry into patient outcome and death (NCEPOD), which is managed by Rational Institute for Clinical Excellence on behalf of the Department, reviews medical clinical practices and makes recommendations to improve the quality of the delivery of care. It does not however compare national health service hospitals with private hospitals. The reports are on their website www.ncepod.org.uk.

LIFT Programme

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the NHS LIFT programme to cover dental practices; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: National Health Service Local Implement Finance Trusts (LIFTs) provide improved primary care facilities for primary care trusts, to support the delivery of services required by their local population, which could include dentistry. Three of the five new LIFT buildings, in East London, Barnsley and Wigan, include, or are planning to include, provision for dentistry.

Aviation Emissions Tax

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will urge his EU counterparts to agree to a tax on aviation emissions.

Charlotte Atkins: The "Future of Air Transport" White Paper recognises the importance of ensuring that aviation meets its external costs, including its environmental costs. The UK has made it clear that tackling climate change will be a priority for our presidency of the EU in 2005. We believe that the best way of ensuring that aviation contributes towards the goal of climate stabilisation would be through a well-designed emissions trading regime. The European Commission has recently commissioned a study to look at options for aviation participating in the EU emission trading scheme. We intend to press for the inclusion of intra-EU air services in the EU scheme from 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter, and to make this a priority for our EU presidency. However, we will also continue to explore and discuss options for the use of other economic instruments.

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department was formed in May 2002. Detail of expenditure and estimated costs in future years for the central Department and agencies are shown in the following table.
	
		
			£ million 
			  Expenditure Estimated costs 
			 Organisation 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Central Department 58.5 40.74 (13)— (13)— (13)— 
			 Highways Agency 273.9 277.1 278.0 278.0 278.0 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 2.9 5.1 3.2 2.0 (13)— 
			 Driving standards Agency 3.0 2.6 (13)— (13)— (13)— 
			 Marine and Coastguard Agency 0.7 0.5 0.6 (13)— (13)— 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 3.0 2.0 (13)— (13)— (13)— 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
		
	
	(13) Current central Department or agency planning processes do not provide this level of detail.

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how environmental objectives and criteria were dealt with in the contract between the Highways Agency and Highway Services (UK) Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State does not have any contract with the company mentioned but the M40 DBFO contract is with UK Highways (M40) Limited. The contract required the company to incorporate into the construction all of the environmental features included in the approved design. The attached extract from the Design, Build, Finance and Operate Contract between the Secretary of State for Transport and UK Highways (M40) Ltd. details further general and specific environmental terms.
	"Core Operation and Maintenance Requirements
	In the design, planning and execution of all works and functions associated with the operation and maintenance of the Project Facilities, the DBFO Co. shall take all such action and do all such things (including, without limitation, organising itself, adopting measures and standards, executing procedures, including inspection procedures and safety patrols, and engaging and managing contractors, agents and employees) as will and in such manner as will secure risk of adverse effects on the environment and on the amenity enjoyed by the owners and occupiers of land adjacent to the Project Road and to adjoining roads and facilities is minimised.
	Scheme Specific Core Operation and Maintenance Requirements
	The DBFO Co. shall cultivate and maintain the landscaped areas of the Project Road so as to enhance the appearance and aesthetic quality of the Project Road and to mitigate its adverse environmental effects.
	The DBFO Co. shall operate and maintain the Site and the Operation and Maintenance Adjacent Areas so as to enhance nature conservation."

In-house Magazines

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: Total expenditure on staff magazines for the central Department and the executive agencies from 2002–03 onwards is given in the table. Figures for previous years would cover the work of the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The six executive agencies are the Highways Agency, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).
	
		
			£ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 1 
		
		
			 DfT Central 64,000 80,000 72,000 
			 Highways Agency 127,000 119,000 72,000 
			 VOSA 8,506 10,628 10,222 
			 DSA 19,520 17,562 18,975 
			 MCA Nil Nil Nil 
			 DVLA 64,809 48,281 44,776 
			 VCA 2,100 2,500 6,500 
		
	
	(14) Estimated

Private Car Parks

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is allowed to issue details of car ownership to private companies who operate within private car parks and issue fines for alleged offences; and what assessment his Department has made of whether the issuing of such information is compliant with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

David Jamieson: Regulations provide for the release of vehicle keeper details from the register maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to applicants who can demonstrate "reasonable cause" for their request. The enforcement of parking restrictions on private property meets the "reasonable cause" criterion. If information was not released in these circumstances landlords would have great difficulty in enforcing their rights to their property. The Information Commissioner is aware that personal data is used in this way and he has issued advice, which is available on his website.

Railways

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much the Government expects to spend in overall improvements including safety improvements, to the Rail Network over the next five years;
	(2)  how much money the Government have invested in the Rail Network since May 1997.

Tony McNulty: Historic and forecast public spending on all modes of transport is set out in table A3 of "Transport 2010 The 10 Year Plan" published in July 2000 as supplemented by table Al.l of "Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report" published in December 2002.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has today made a statement setting out the funding levels for rail for the remainder of Network Rail's current regulatory control period.

Road Maintenance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on local authorities' obligations to keep pavements and highways in a good state of repair.

Charlotte Atkins: The Highways Act 1980 places a duty on highway authorities to maintain footways and highways in a safe condition, taking into account the nature of these roads and the traffic that could reasonably be expected to use them.
	The Department for Transport strongly recommends that local authorities maintain their highways in accordance with the Code of Practice for Maintenance Management "Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance", published in 2001.

Speed Cameras (Accidents)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of road traffic accidents occurred on or near to the calibration lines of speed cameras in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: The specific information requested is not available. But "The National safety camera programme—Three year evaluation report", carried out by University College London and PA Consulting Group, found that there had been a 40 per cent. reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured at camera sites, and a 33 per cent. reduction in the total number of personal injury collisions at camera sites. The report was published in June 2004. Copies are available in the Library and from the Department's website.

Departmental Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: There are 20 main training providers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). They centrally arrange more than 200 different courses for staff at both internal and external venues. The FCO also encourages its directorates and diplomatic posts to take responsibility for further enhancing specialist job and/or personal development skills. These activities are paid from local funds, for which no centrally held records are kept.
	
		
			  Costs of training (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 6,261,972 
			 1998–99 7,233,036 
			 1999–2000 6,671,147 
			 2000–01 9,874,047 
			 2001–02 11,331,631 
			 2002–03 9,772,578 
			 2003–04 13,118,950 
		
	
	Centrally held records on the costs of staff training and development days held away from the Department cover activities run by the central FCO training department, based in London. Readily accessible records are only available from April 2000.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Training courses 1 Development 1 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,160,258 177,277 
			 2001–02 1,250,186 326,820 
			 2002–03 1,431,207 475,233 
			 2003–04 1,247,524 142,264 
		
	
	(15) Centrally run
	The FCO training provision is recorded on a variety of management information systems. Further figures could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what verification his Department has (a) sought and (b) received concerning the reports of the offensive use of helicopter gunships by the Sudanese Government mentioned in paragraph 5 of the recent report of the UN Secretary-General on Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: We are concerned about the use of helicopter gunships in Darfur and continue to liaise closely with the African Union who are investigating the incidents. The latest report by the UN Secretary General, dated 4 February, notes that
	"helicopters and other aircraft previously used for bombing have continued to be utilised in support of operations up to the present month."
	We have made clear that all sides must stop the fighting and abide by the commitments they have already made, particularly the Abuja Humanitarian and Security Protocols which commit the Government of Sudan to cease all hostile overflights.

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money her Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Richard Caborn: All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook and all ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	"Travel by Ministers" makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	In respect of domestic ministerial travel, the Department has not incurred any expenditure on chartering aircrafts in the last five years

PE Teaching

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Department of Education and Skills regarding the quality of physical education teaching in schools.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills share an ambitious PSA target connected to the national PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy. The two Departments are working closely on this joint project, on an on-going basis.
	As part of the project, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has been working with schools to help improve the quality of PE and school sport. This includes taking into account of how young people learn best, and how to improve their progress and attainment. A guide entitled "Do You Have High Quality PE and Sport in Your School?" has recently been produced by the QCA. This is designed to help schools to self-evaluate the quality of their PE and sport, and help them improve the quality of their provision and make it more effective.
	Another strand of the PESSCL project covers professional development and £18 million has been committed over 2003–06 to deliver this programme. Schools can draw, free of charge, from a menu of resources to help teachers provide high quality PE and school sport. Schools in 116 LEAs are already accessing the programme.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total expenditure by her Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Richard Caborn: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Department incurred zero expenditure on advertising in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 2003–04. No expenditure on advertising will be incurred in 2004–05 and no expenditure is expected to be incurred in 2005–06, 2006–07 or 2007–08.
	(b) The Department incurred the following expenditure on publicity (including publications, marketing literature and events):
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1996–97 75,562 
			 1997–98 252,766 
			 2003–04 533,549 
		
	
	The estimated expenditure on publicity in this, and the next three, financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2004–05 674,000 
			 2005–06 (18)— 
			 2006–07 (18)— 
			 2007–08 (18)— 
		
	
	(18) Not yet decided

Anti-terrorism Measures

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information the Government has published for (a) the general public and (b) small businesses on terrorist alertness and prevention.

Charles Clarke: For the public the Government have published information on how they can protect themselves and their families; what to do in an emergency; how they can help prevent terrorism by being alert and reporting anything suspicious to the Police Anti-Terrorism Hotline (0800 789 321). This information can be found in the Preparing for Emergencies booklet and on the website www.preparingforemergencies.gov.uk and information on threat and what the Government are doing to combat terrorism can be found on the Home Office website www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism.
	Government advice to businesses on prevention and being alert to terrorism applies to businesses generally. The information we have published includes information on protective security from basic practical steps to technological solutions such as CCTV and protecting IT networks; information on what to do with suspicious packages; and how businesses can plan to make sure they can recover from the consequences of emergencies, whatever the cause. This information can be found on the Security Service website www.mi5.gov.uk and a range of publications to aid businesses in continuity planning are available on www.UKResilience.gov.uk.

Asylum and Immigration

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total Government spending on asylum and immigration was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04; what the planned expenditure is for each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: This information is not available in the format requested but Immigration and Nationality Directorate expenditure and asylum support costs for the years 1997–98 to 2003–04 are set out in the table as follows. Asylum support costs were borne by other government departments up to and including 1999–2000.
	
		
			£ million 
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 (20)2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Resource
			 Asylum Support non IND 375 475 52 — — — — 
			 Asylum Support IND only — — 537 747 1046 1070 1008 
			 Other IND expenditure 207 214 268 551 578 793 887 
			 Total IND expenditure 582 689 857 1318 1624 1863 1895 
			 Capital
			 IND expenditure — — — 65 142 75 101 
		
	
	(20) Because of a change in the basis of government accounting in 2000–01, from cash to resource (accruals), it is not possible to compare directly figures from 1999–2000 to 2000–01 onwards.
	IND allocations for 2004–05 and 2005–06 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			  2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Resource 1,656 1,519 
			 Capital 130 111 
		
	
	Budgets for 2006–07 and 2007–08 have not yet been finalised.
	These figures exclude allocations to the Department for Constitutional Affairs from the single asylum budget.

Asylum and Immigration

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean asylum seekers have had their applications declined and been repatriated in each month since January 2002.

Des Browne: We have taken repatriation here to mean removal. The number of Zimbabwean nationals who had claimed asylum at some stage and have been removed from the United Kingdom between January 2002 and September 2004 is given in the table. This information includes persons who departed under assisted voluntary return schemes run by the International Organization for Migration and those who departed voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated.
	It is not possible to say at what stage in the asylum process people are at the time of their removal.
	National Statistics on the number and nationality of asylum applicants removed from the UK during the final quarter of 2004 will be published on the Home Office website, www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html, on 22 February 2005.
	
		Removals and voluntary departures(21) of asylum applicants, excluding dependants, 2002 to 2004, by month, nationals of Zimbabwe(22) , (23) , (24) ,  Number of principal applicants
		
			 Month 2002 5 2003 5, 6 2004 6 
		
		
			 January 15 * 5 
			 February 5 5 5 
			 March 5 10 5 
			 April 15 5 5 
			 May 5 5 5 
			 June 10 5 5 
			 July 10 5 10 
			 August 15 5 10 
			 September 5 5 10 
			 October 10 10 (27)— 
			 November 10 5 (27)— 
			 December 10 5 (27)— 
			 Total 110 70 55 
		
	
	(21) Includes persons departing "voluntarily" after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration, and removals on safe third country grounds.
	(22) Figures rounded to the nearest five and may not sum due to rounding.
	(23) Figures may include a small number of dependants leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes.
	(24) Figures exclude dependants of asylum seekers removed. Data on dependants removed have only been collected since April 2001.
	(25) Data have been estimated due to data quality issues.
	(26) Provisional figures.
	(27) Data for October to December 2004 will be published in February 2005.

Asylum and Immigration

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision has been made to provide asylum seekers, including end of process asylum seekers, from those countries affected by the tsunami (a) with temporary, humanitarian or discretionary protection in the UK and (b) permission to work until they can reasonably go home.

Des Browne: The suspension of enforced returns to areas directly affected by the tsunami is temporary and we have no plans to grant leave or permission to work to failed asylum seekers from those areas. Individuals from the directly affected areas will normally be eligible for section 4 (hard case) support while the temporary suspension remains in place. Asylum applications made by individuals from areas affected by the tsunami will be considered in accordance with normal policy and procedures.

Black Offenders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to commission research into the reasons for increases in the number of black offenders in custody.

Paul Goggins: The prison population by ethnic group, for each year from 1993 to 2003, has been published in table 8.4 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003". A copy of this publication is available in the House of Commons library.
	One of the reasons for the increase in the black prison population is the increase in the number of foreign nationals in prison. The population of black foreign national prisoners increased by 284 per cent. between 1993 and 2003.
	There are no plans to conduct specific research into the reasons for increases in the number of black offenders in custody. However, the forthcoming cohort study will include a sample of ethnic minority prisoners in comparison with other prisoners.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued by (a) police and (b) non-police personnel in each Lancashire district in each year since 2000.

Hazel Blears: Available information on motoring fixed penalty notices issued by the Lancashire police force area can be found in the annual Home Office publication "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables"—Table 20(a) refers. The information is collected at police force level only. The latest issue covers 2002. Copies are available from the Library. As at 31 December 2002 no borough council within Lancashire were enforcing parking controls.
	4,868 penalty notices for disorder were issued in Lancashire in 2004, the year of their introduction. Figures collected centrally do not allow analysis below police force area level nor distinguish between those issued by police and non-police personnel.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who drew up the guest list for the Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration in Westminster Hall on 27 January; and which hon. and right hon. Members were invited.

Fiona Mactaggart: The list was drawn up by the Home Office in consultation with survivor and veteran groups and stakeholder bodies with an interest in Holocaust commemoration and education.
	The following hon. Members were invited:
	The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
	Six members of the Government with departmental responsibilities relevant to HMD—the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Secretary of State for Education, and myself as the Home Office Minister with responsibility for Race Equality, Community Policy and Civil Renewal. In the event, the Foreign Secretary attended the commemoration at Auschwitz on the same day and was therefore unable to be present. The Secretaries of State for Defence and Education were represented by Mr. Adam Ingram and Mr. Ivan Lewis.
	The Speaker and the Leader of the House.
	The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and Mr. Rhodri Morgan and Mr. Jack McConnell representing respectively the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Executive
	Mr. Lembit Opik, Mr. James Clappison and Mr. Andrew Lansley, as nominees of the Holocaust Education Trust. Ms. Louise Ellman as a member-designate of the new Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the study conducted by Consult Hyperion Ltd. commissioned by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate into the creation of a Biometrics Governance Framework.

Des Browne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) commissioned a study by Amtec Consulting Group in 2003 into Biometrics Co-ordination within IND in which a consultant from Consult Hyperion was involved. This report has been superseded by a study currently underway within IND into Biometrics Strategy with the same consultant from Consult Hyperion as part of the study team.
	This report is currently at review stage and is unpublished. When this study is published, a copy will be placed into the Library.

Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 276W, on identity cards and passports, what the reasons are for the fall in the projected numbers of passport applications between 2005 and 2009.

Des Browne: The answer of 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 276W gave projected volumes of passport demand between 2005 and 2014. During this period we anticipate fluctuating demand for both adult new applications and adult renewals. The pattern is different for each demand type and is based on the constraints detailed as follows.
	The forecast decline in adult new passport applications is due to the following:
	Since 1999, the majority of applications for new passports have been from children, as opposed to adults due to the policy introduced in 1998 that children require their own passports and should no longer be included on parents' passports.
	When a child passport holder turns 16 and applies to renew their passport, the application is treated as an adult renewal (since we already have a record of them on our database and have carried out previous identity checks). The absence of children turning 16 as a major source of adult new applications has resulted in the approach of saturation of new passport uptake within the adult population.
	Adult new passport intake has fallen from a peak of 2.2 million applications in 1996 to approximately 820,000 in 2000–01. It has gradually declined since to only 660,000 applications in 2004. The UKPS estimates that this gradual decline will persist to approximately 540,000 applications by 2009.
	Once saturation has been achieved, the actual new adult passport demand will be susceptible to variations in the number of immigrants who take up British nationality (as a consequence of Government policy) and the number of children that have not held a passport by the age of 16.
	Adult passport renewal volumes are forecast to reflect fluctuations in the volumes of passports that are available to be renewed during the period. Passports that are available to renew include:
	Adult passports issued 10 years previously; and
	Child passports issued five years previously to 11 to 15-year-old children.
	The peak in renewals around 2006 is partly driven by the fact that this is the tenth anniversary of the year when the one year "British Visitors' Passport" was abolished and the fifth anniversary of the initial bulge in children passport issues, following the above mentioned policy change.

Research and Development

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what percentage of the Department's expenditure went on research and development in each year between 2001–02 and 2003–04.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information relating to the amount and percentage of research and development costs of total planned expenditure for the Core Home Office is shown in the table.
	
		
			  R and D spend (£ million) Percentage of total expenditure 
		
		
			 2001–02 (28)40.2 0.39 
			 2002–03 (29)50.3 0.47 
			 2003–04 (30)48 0.39 
		
	
	(28) As published in the Police Science and Technology Strategy 2003–2008 January 2003.
	(29) As published in the Police Science and Technology Strategy 2004–2009. May 2004.
	(30) As published by HM Treasury in "Science and Innovation: working towards a ten-year investment framework". March 2004.

River Police

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure an integrated policing approach across the boundaries of different police forces responsible for sections of the River Thames.

Hazel Blears: Policing of the River Thames is an operational matter for the forces concerned. However, the need for greater and more effective collaboration across force boundaries is an issue highlighted by the recent police reform White Paper "Building Communities, Beating Crime". Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary have been commissioned to examine this issue as part of a wider study into whether the current 43 force structure in England and Wales is the right one to meet today's and tomorrow's policing needs.

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Christopher Leslie: The costs of chartering aircraft by the Department in each of the past five years are not separately identifiable within the Department's accounts without incurring disproportionate costs.
	Travel by Ministers makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Policies (Pendle)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Pendle constituency, the effects on Pendle of his Department's policies and activities since 2 May 1997.

Christopher Leslie: The Department for Constitutional Affairs is the Government Department responsible for upholding justice, rights and democracy. The Department's aim is to provide for effective and accessible justice for all, to ensure the rights and responsibilities of the citizen, and to modernise the law and constitution.
	Currently, the Department has six strategic objectives, which cover the delivery of justice, civil and administrative law, protecting the vulnerable, modernising the constitution, increasing consumer choice and working in partnership with the independent judiciary. The Department also has seven Public Service Agreement targets to help deliver its strategic objectives.
	Examples of the activity in 2004 to deliver these objectives include work with partners to make sure criminal trials are more efficient with the numbers of ineffective Crown Court trials falling from 24 per cent. in 2002–03 to 16 per cent. in September 2004. The rate has reduced from 31 per cent. to 25 per cent. for the same period in the magistrates' courts. The Department has also been involved in work to help people resolve their disputes in the most effective way, including pilots to test the effectiveness of court-based mediation. During 2004 there was a reduction from almost 49 per cent. to 41 per cent. in those cases that had eventually to be resolved by a hearing. Another area where pilots were used successfully was for all postal voting in four regions of England at the combined European and local elections in June 2004. Voter turnout doubled in the pilot regions compared with 1999.
	The range of the Department's policies and actions is wide and the statistical information relating to all of that activity is not collected on a constituency basis. Consequently, the information requested in the question cannot be provided in the form requested except at a disproportionate cost. However, statistical information about the Department's activities can be found at: http://www.dca.gov.uk/statistics/statfr.htm as well as at www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
	An example of the information available on those sites is data on persistent young offenders. The average number of days from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders sentenced between August and October 2004 was 59 days in the Lancashire criminal justice area, which covers the constituency of Pendle. This compares with 124 days in the Lancashire criminal justice area in the 1997 calendar year.

Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department and its predecessors spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: My Department has national contracts for the provision of stationery and office supplies, with purchasing delegated to management unit level. Information regarding expenditure is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Stationery Office supplies 
		
		
			 1997 n/a n/a 
			 1998 43,660 n/a 
			 1999 50,541 1,910,865 
			 2000 45,991 2,380,618 
			 2001 40,025 2,509,747 
			 2002 35,263 2,994,164 
			 2003 30,894 3,111,605 
			 2004 20,595 3,218,613 
		
	
	Prior to 1998 for stationery, and 1999 for office supplies, information regarding expenditure was not held centrally. Such information could only be provided at disproportionate cost

Speeding

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many drivers have been caught speeding by the Police Service of Northern Ireland Traffic Branch since November 2004; and in which areas offences took place.

Ian Pearson: The figures requested are set out in the following table.
	
		Number of speeding detections(fixed penalty notice and safety camera) by roads policing officers—1 November 2004 to 4 February 2005
		
			  Number of detections 
		
		
			 Rural region  
			 DCU area 
			 Armagh DCU 21 
			 Ballymena DCU 94 
			 Ballymoney DCU 32 
			 Banbridge DCU 339 
			 Coleraine DCU 140 
			 Cookstown DCU 16 
			 Craigavon DCU 74 
			 Down DCU 148 
			 Dungannon DCU 74 
			 Fermanagh DCU 38 
			 Foyle DCU 330 
			 Limavady DCU 79 
			 Magherafelt DCU 207 
			 Moyle DCU 19 
			 Newry and Mourne DCU 624 
			 Omagh DCU 162 
			 Strabane DCU 12 
			 Rural total: 2,409 
			   
			 Urban region  
			 Antrim DCU 126 
			 Belfast East DCU 214 
			 Belfast North DCU 90 
			 Belfast South DCU 241 
			 Belfast West DCU 9 
			 Carrickfergus DCU 16 
			 Castlereagh DCU 117 
			 Larne DCU 12 
			 Usburn DCU 133 
			 Newtownabbey DCU 100 
			 Newtownards DCU 96 
			 North Down DCU 288 
			 Urban total 1,442 
			   
			 Overall total 3,851

Benefit Claims (Processing)

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average time taken to process a claim for attendance allowance was in each year since 1975;
	(2)  what the average time taken to process a claim for disability living allowance was in each year since 1975.

Maria Eagle: The administration of attendance allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Howard Flight, dated 10 February 2005
	In reply to two of your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Disability and Carers Service, the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Eagle, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken to process a claim for disability living allowance and a claim for attendance allowance was in each year since 1975.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance Attendance allowance 
			  Target Achievement Target Achievement 
		
		
			 Days 
			 2004–05 39 36.6 24 18.7 
			 2003–04 42 39.7 26 20.8 
			 2002–03 43 42 27 24.2 
			 Percentage 
			 2001–02 95% in 73 days 91.3 95% in 63 days 94.93 
			 2000–01 95% in 73 days 88.7 95% in 63 days 92.1 
			 1999–2000 85% in 53 days 79.03 85% in 53 days 87.47 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Disability living allowance was created in 1982.
	2. Actual average clearance times are used from 2001–02 to report target achievement so comparisons to earlier periods are not possible.
	3. The earliest data available is 1990–2000.
	Source:
	DCS Finance and Performance Management Team

Benefit Payments (Wales)

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed sickness-related benefit in each constituency in Wales in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		All incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) claimants in each parliamentary constituency in Wales at 31 August 2004
		
			  All IB SDA 
		
		
			 Aberavon 7,000 6,400 600 
			 Alyn and Deeside 3,500 3,100 *300 
			 Blaenau Gwent 7,900 7,300 700 
			 Brecon and Radnorshire 3,400 2,900 *500 
			 Bridgend 5,000 4,300 700 
			 Caernarfon 2,900 2,400 500 
			 Caerphilly 8,500 7,700 800 
			 Cardiff Central 3,600 3,200 *400 
			 Cardiff North 3,100 2,800 *300 
			 Cardiff South and Penarth 6,400 5,700 600 
			 Cardiff West 5,500 4,900 600 
			 Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 4,700 4,200 500 
			 Carmarthen West and  South Pembrokeshire 4,000 3,500 500 
			 Ceredigion 4,400 4,000 *400 
			 Clwyd South 4,700 4,100 600 
			 Clwyd West 4,000 3,600 *300 
			 Conwy 3,900 3,500 *500 
			 Cynon Valley 6,900 6,300 600 
			 Delyn 3,700 3,300 *400 
			 Gower 5,000 4,500 600 
			 Islwyn 5,500 5,200 *300 
			 Llanelli 6,700 6,300 *400 
			 Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 1,600 1,400 *200 
			 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 9,500 8,800 700 
			 Monmouth 3,400 3,000 *400 
			 Montgomeryshire 2,600 2,200 *300 
			 Neath 6,400 5,900 500 
			 Newport East 4,700 4,200 500 
			 Newport West 4,800 4,400 *400 
			 Ogmore 7,400 6,600 800 
			 Pontypridd 6,300 5,800 500 
			 Preseli Pembrokeshire 4,200 3,800 500 
			 Rhondda 9,000 8,400 600 
			 Swansea East 6,400 5,700 700 
			 Swansea West 5,700 5,100 600 
			 Torfaen 6,800 6,200 600 
			 Vale of Clwyd 4,900 4,100 800 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 5,000 4,600 *400 
			 Wrexham 3,800 3,400 *400 
			 Ynys Mon 4,200 3,800 *400 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2. Incapacity benefit figures include credits-only cases.
	3. Figures marked "*" are based on very few sample cases and therefore subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a guide to the current situation only.
	Source: IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.

Carer's Allowance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been declared ineligible for a carer's allowance in each of the last five years because they have a state pension.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
	Carer's allowance is payable to carers of state pension age who meet the condition of entitlement to the allowance and do not receive a state pension, or where the weekly rate of state pension paid is lower than the weekly rate of carer's allowance. In those cases a reduced rate of carer's allowance is paid to bring the total amount of state pension and carers allowance paid up to the carer's allowance weekly rate.
	These arrangements are in line with the basic principle of the social security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid for the same purpose. Carer's allowance and state pension cannot be paid at the same time because both of them are non-income-related benefits designed to provide a degree of replacement for lost or foregone income.
	In cases where these arrangements preclude the payment of carer's allowance, the carer's entitlement to the allowance gives them access to the carer premium, currently £25.55 per week, in the income related benefits such as income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit and to the similar amount in pension credit.
	Carer's allowance: total number of cases in each year from 2001 to 2004 in which carer's allowance was not in payment because a state pension was in payment.
	
		
			  Number of cases in which carer's allowance is not in payment because a state pension was in payment 1, 2 
		
		
			 2001 19,690 
			 2002 (34)34,770 
			 2003 107,920 
			 2004 197,305 
		
	
	(32) Figures for each year include people who claimed carer's allowance in that year but for whom the allowance could not be paid because they received state pension; people who had claimed in a previous year for whom the allowance could not be paid because they received state pension; and people who were receiving carer's allowance in that year or a previous year but ceased to receive CA when they began to receive a state pension.
	(33) Figures for the number of cases are point in time only as at 31 August 2004, 31 August 2003, 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2001.
	(34) From October 2002, the upper age limit was increased to allow carers age 65 and over to claim for the first time.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample

Child Support Agency

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the 20-week delay in the making of maintenance awards by the Child Support Agency; what action is being taken to (a) issue interim awards and (b) rectify computer problems at the Agency; and what arrangements will be made to deal with cases of hardship where awards have been delayed.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mr. Mike Isaac to Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, dated 11 February 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the 20-week delays in the making of maintenance awards by the Child Support Agency; what action is being taken to (a) issue interim awards and (b) rectifying computer problems at the Agency; and what arrangements will be made to deal with cases of hardship where awards have been delayed.
	Issues associated with the implementation of changes to child support have been documented by the Secretary of State in his reports to Parliament and in evidence that both myself and the Secretary of State have given to the Work and Pensions Select Committee. In essence the computer service provided by EDS has not fully met our expectations and as a result work on hand is higher than forecast.
	Where appropriate, where a case cannot be progressed because of a computer defect Agency staff will contact both parties with a view to putting interim payment arrangements in place. Alternatively, parents can calculate for themselves the appropriate amount to be paid by using the self calculator on the Agency's website.
	We are working closely with EDS to remedy difficulties within their service and are hopeful that the main phase in the remediation process will be complete by the middle of 2005. If parents have lost out financially as a result of error or delay by the Agency then financial redress will be paid to them within the terms of the Departmental Guide to Financial Redress for Maladministration.

Crisis Loan Applications

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest figure is for the average timescale for dealing with crisis loan applications; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT) for crisis loans in December 2004 was 1.4 working days at National level. Regional AACT clearance in December 2004 ranged from 1.1 to 1.6 working days.
	This is within the current internal target of clearing crisis loans within an average of two working days. The minimum clearance time that can be recorded is one day.

Departmental Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last two years.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 10 January 2005, Official Report, columns 85–86W.
	The cost of taxi fares incurred by the Department for Work and Pensions is not recorded centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list the publications and newsletters published by the centre over that period.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training is usually known as "Cedefop" from its French title. Its activities in the UK in 2004 focused on two key areas:
	(i) Cedefop study visits for vocational training policy makers and practitioners included six visits to the UK by practitioners and policy makers from other EU member states, during 2004, each lasting around five days. 74 visitors from 23 European countries visited England, Scotland and Wales during the period and 57 people from here studied vocational training systems in 21 countries across the EU.
	(ii) Cedefop's "Refer" network provides information on developments in vocational education and training across the European Union. It comprises exchange of information between national consortia in each EU country. The network encourages and facilitates mutual exchanges of information; promotes the creation of partnerships; and provides consortium members with an opportunity to broaden their contacts with other international organisations in Europe.
	Publications and Newsletters
	A list of the publications and newsletters produced by Cedefop in 2004 can be obtained by accessing its website at www.cedefop.eu.int/publications and going to "publications catalogue".

Five-year Strategy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the evidential basis was in terms of absolute figures for spending on (a) benefits, (b) tax credits and (c) gross domestic product in each year since 1997 for the statement on page 14 of the Five Year Plan (Cm 6447) that welfare spending has declined from 12.3 per cent. to 11.6 per cent. of gross domestic product since 1997.

Chris Pond: The figures are given in the table. This shows that spending has declined from 12.3 per cent. to 11.6 per cent. of GDP since 1997.
	
		£ billion, rounded to nearest £100 million
		
			  Benefits(35) Tax credits(36) Gross product 3 
		
		
			 1996–97 95.2 0.0 773.4 
			 1997–98 96.4 0.0 822.8 
			 1998–99 98.7 0.0 868.4 
			 1999–2000 102.3 1.1 919.1 
			 2000–2001 104.7 4.6 961.9 
			 2001–02 110.2 4.8 1,004.1 
			 2002–03 115.1 6.0 1,057.8 
			 2003–04 119.4 9.4 1,115.9 
			 2004–05 125.0 11.8 1,176.7 
		
	
	(35) Includes DWP benefit spending, non-DWP housing and council tax benefits, Northern Ireland benefit spending, War Pensions both before and after the transfer from DWP to the Veterans Agency in 2002 and child benefit both before and after the transfer from DWP to the Inland Revenue in 2003.
	(36) Figures provided by HM Treasury at pre-Budget report 2004 and earlier spending rounds, less DWP spending on child amounts in income support and jobseeker's allowance (which is included in the Benefits line).
	(37) GDP figures are those published on 2 December 2004.

Incapacity Benefit

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 13 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1384–386W, and of 24 January 2005, on incapacity benefit, when he expects to complete his exploration of ways of allowing people with progressive conditions to be able to continue permitted work beyond the initial 52 weeks without being limited to earnings of £20.

Maria Eagle: We have completed our consideration of this issue. In deciding to whom this new arrangement should apply, we have adopted exemption from the personal capability assessment (PCA) as the criterion. This is in line with the approach adopted for other purposes, for example, in the Pathways to Work Initiative, where the full mandatory provisions are not applied to clients who are exempt from the PCA. We are planning to bring these changes into effect in 2006.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people left incapacity benefit to return to work in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: National data are only available for benefit leavers returning to work who report this to the Department. Research suggests the numbers actually returning to work is significantly higher. In Pathways areas we are getting double the level of improvement in the number of recorded job entries compared to other areas. Between October 2003 and October 2004, 8,300 people were helped into work in the Pathways areas.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		All incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) terminations in the quarters shown recorded as a"Return to work"
		
			 Quarter ending IB/SDA IB SDA 
		
		
			 February 1999 6,500 6,200 (38)200 
			 May 1999 5,900 5,600 (38)200 
			 August 1999 5,100 4,900 (38)200 
			 November 1999 7,000 6,700 (38)300 
			 February 2000 5,300 5,100 (38)200 
			 May 2000 6,600 6,300 (38)300 
			 August 2000 6,800 6,400 (38)300 
			 November 2000 7,400 7,200 (38)200 
			 February 2001 6,100 6,000 (38)100 
			 May 2001 6,400 6,100 (38)200 
			 August 2001 6,600 6,500 (38)100 
			 November 2001 8,100 7,700 (38)300 
			 February 2002 5,100 5,000 (38)100 
			 May 2002 6,000 5,700 (38)200 
			 August 2002 5,800 5,600 (38)200 
			 November 2002 7,600 7,500 (38)100 
			 February 2003 4,900 4,800 (39)— 
			 May 2003 6,200 6,100 (38)200 
			 August 2003 6,600 6,500 (38)100 
			 November 2003 7,200 7,000 (38)200 
			 February 2004 5,200 5,200 (38)100 
			 May 2004 6,200 6,100 (38)100 
			 August 2004 6,600 6,500 (38)100 
		
	
	(38) Figures are based on very few sample cases and therefore subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a guide to the current situation only.
	(39) Nil or negligible.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are not available prior to February 1999.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

New Deal

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in the new deal for young people have joined (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) more than three times since its introduction.

Jane Kennedy: The new deal has been successful in helping more than 1.2 million people into work, including over half a million young people through the new deal for young people.
	Although some people will re-experience unemployment after leaving the new deal, they will have added to their skills and experience, making it easier for them to find a job in the future. People re-entering the new deal move into work more quickly than they did the first time they were on the programme because they have recent experience of work, and have more jobsearch skills.
	The requested information is in the table.
	
		Individuals who have participated in new deal for young people
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Total number of individuals who have started new  deal for young people 909,230 
			 People starting the programme once 674,280 
			 People starting the programme twice 174,020 
			 People starting the programme three times 49,110 
			 People starting the programme more than three times 11,280 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data is from January 1998 to September 2004.
	2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, DWP Information Directorate

New Deal

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on the new deal for disabled people in (a) cash and (b) real terms since its creation; what the cost has been (i) per client and (ii) per eligible claimant since its creation; and how much of the extra funding announced in the pre-Budget report 2004 has been (A) allocated and (B) spent.

Jane Kennedy: The information on expenditure on the new deal for disabled people in cash and real terms is in the table.
	
		Expenditure on the new deal for disabled peoplein cash and real terms £ million
		
			  Admin expenditure Programme expenditure Total expenditure 
		
		
			 Cash terms
			 1998–99 1 — 1 
			 1999–2000 7 15 22 
			 2000–01 7 7 14 
			 2001–02 6 4 10 
			 2002–03 15 16 31 
			 2003–04 15 28 43 
			 
			 Real terms (2003–04 prices) 
			 1998–99 0.9 — 0.9 
			 1999–2000 6.3 13.6 19.9 
			 2000–01 6.4 6.4 12.8 
			 2001–02 5.6 3.8 9.4- 
			 2002–03 14.6 15.6 30.2 
			 2003–04 15.0 28.0 43.0 
		
	
	Source:
	Departmental Report 2004
	It is not possible to give the actual cost per customer, as clients' needs vary greatly as does the type of help they need. The £30 million secured in the pre-Budget report 2004 is funding for 2005–06, therefore none of this funding has yet been allocated or spent.

Pathway to Work

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has so far been spent on the Pathway to Work pilots, broken down by (a) jobcentre plus services, (b) payments to claimants, (c) payments to voluntary sector providers and (d) other categories of payments.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
	
		Expenditure on Pathway to Work pilots
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus services 16,252,190 
			 Customer payments 6,154,550 
			 Other categories of payment 24,586,450 
			 Total 46,993,190 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figure for Jobcentre Plus services is actual spend. The figures shown for customer payments and other categories are estimated.
	2. Information concerning payments to voluntary sector providers is not available.
	Source:
	DWP administrative data.

Pension Credit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what statistics his Department has collected on (a) take-up and (b) eligibility to pension credit since 31 October 2004; and if he will collect and publish statistics on pension credit eligibility at constituency level.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on levels of pension credit take-up and eligibility is not collected directly. Estimates of eligibility are derived from the yearly Family Resources Survey (FRS). Current estimates are projected forward using the FRS for 2002–03 and modelled with the Department's Policy Simulation Model. Robust figures on eligibility and take-up will not be available until full analysis of the FRS for 2003–04 and will be published in the National Statistics publication "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up". The FRS does not provide enough information to break down figures to constituency level.
	Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit in each Government Office Region and constituency at 31 December 2004 was published in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report, on 3 February. A copy of the report is in the Library.

Pension Credit

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of pension credit in each Greater London borough are receiving (a) less than 10p, (b) 10p to 19p, (c) 20p to 29p, (d) 30p to 39p, (e) 40p to 49p, (f) 50p to 59p, (g) 60p to 69p, (h) 70p to 79p, (i) 80p to 89p and (j) 90p to 99p per week.

Malcolm Wicks: The figures in question for individual London boroughs are too small to be reliable. The information for inner and outer London areas is given in the following table. An award of pension credit of less than 10p per week is not payable unless the person is receiving another benefit payable with pension credit. 
	
		Pension credit awards of less than £1, London Government office region (GOR), 31 December 2004
		
			  All Less than 10p 10p-19p 20p-29p 30p-39p 40p-49p 
		
		
			 London GOR 500 35 25 30 20 45 
			
			 Outer London   
			 East and North East 150 10 10 10 5 15 
			 West and North West 95 5 5 (40)— 5 10 
			 South 70 5 (40)— 5 — 5 
			
			 Inner London   
			 West 50 5 (40)— (40)— (40)— 5 
			 East 135 10 5 5 10 10 
		
	
	
		
			  50p-59p 60p-69p 70p-79p 80p-89p 90p-99p 
		
		
			 London GOR 40 60 75 75 100 
			   
			 Outer London  
			 East and North East 5 15 30 20 25 
			 West and North West 10 10 10 15 25 
			 South 10 10 10 10 15 
			   
			 Inner London  
			 West 5 5 10 5 10 
			 East 10 15 15 25 25 
		
	
	(40) Nil or negligible.
	Notes:
	1. Data as at 10 December 2004 have been rated up to give month end figures.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	3. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	4. Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions, 100 per cent. sample.

Pension Credit

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have received pension credit in North Durham since its inception.

Malcolm Wicks: Approximately 5,800 households in the constituency of Durham North, comprising approximately 7,100 individuals, have received pension credit since it was introduced in October 2003.
	Notes:
	1. Data has been taken as at November 2003, February 2004, May 2004 and August 2004.
	2. The total number of pension credit claimants has been derived by summing customers who existed on at least one of the quarterly data extracts referred to in note 1.
	3. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	4. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	5. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	6. Pension credit replaced the minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003.
	7. Individual recipients may include a small number of partners under the age of 60.
	Source: IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions, five per cent. sample.

Return to Work

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance is available to people with disabilities to return to work in Hendon; how many people have taken up this assistance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: There are a number of programmes, such as Access to Work, Work Preparation and Workstep designed to help disabled people return to work. Jobcentre Plus also offers interviews with a personal adviser to all disabled people making new or repeat claims to qualifying benefits to ensure they are aware of the help and opportunities available to them.
	Access to Work is a specialist disability programme, which provides practical advice and support to help disabled people enter or stay in paid employment.
	Work Preparation is an individually tailored, work-focused programme that enables disabled people to address barriers associated with their disability and prepare for working with the confidence necessary to achieve and sustain their job goal.
	Workstep provides support in jobs for disabled people who have more complex barriers to finding and keeping work but who, with the right support, can work effectively and develop in their job. Longer-term support continues to be available for those who need it and is a major element of the programme.
	Details of the number of disabled people helped to return to work through Access to Work, Work Preparation and Workstep in each of the last five years are not available at constituency or Jobcentre Plus district level.
	Disabled people may also receive help through the new deal programme. New deal for disabled people is a voluntary programme which gives customers on qualifying disability or health-related benefits in England, Scotland and Wales access to a network of Job Brokers. Job Brokers work with customers to help them compete in the labour market and support them in finding and keeping a job.
	Disabled people may also receive help through other New Deal programmes such as the new deal for young people, new deal 25 plus, new deal 50+, and new deal for lone parents. Over the last five years we estimate that around 430 disabled people have been supported through these new deal programmes in Hendon, of which around 180 have entered work.
	Information relating to people supported through the New Deal for Disabled People is not available at constituency level. The available information for the North London Jobcentre Plus district is in the following table.
	
		Number of people who have benefited from the new deal for disabled people in North London Jobcentre Plus district
		
			  Individual starts Individuals into work 
		
		
			 July 2001 to September 2001 0 0 
			 October 2001 to September 2002 120 10 
			 October 2002 to September 2003 270 70 
			 October 2003 to September 2004 250 110 
			 Total 640 190 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Starts figures relate to the number of individuals registering with an NDDP Job Broker.
	2. Individuals into work figures relate to the number of individuals gaining NDDP Job Broker jobs and individuals gaining NDDP Jobcentre Plus jobs.
	3. The NDDP programme is available to people in receipt of a disability or health related benefit and started in July 2001.
	4. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and for this reason components may not necessarily sum to totals.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database

State Pension

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost in each of the next six financial years, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional income tax revenues, of paying a full basic state pension to everyone over state pension age, regardless of contribution record.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 7 February 2005
	The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Net cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 2005–06 5.0 
			 2006–07 5.0 
			 2007–08 5.1 
			 2008–09 5.2 
			 2009–10 5.2 
			 2010–11 5.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for Great Britain only, in 2004–05 price terms, using the Gross Domestic Product deflator index, rounded to the nearest £100 million. They assume overnight introduction for all citizens above state pension age.
	2. It is assumed that the rules are changed from 2005–06 and that basic state pension is increased in line with prices. It is assumed that all individuals above state pension age (65 for men; 60 for women) receive the full category A rate of basic state pension (currently £79.60 per week) regardless of contribution record or marital status.
	3. Gross additional basic state pension costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2004 assumptions and use 2002 based population projections. basic state pension costs refer to the additional costs after allowing for consequential changes to national insurance fund benefits and non-income-related vote benefits.
	4. Costs are net of income related benefits and income tax. For illustrative purposes it is assumed that the proportion of savings calculated is constant after 2006–07.

State Pension

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average income of state pensioner households in England and Wales was in each year from 1991 to 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested that is available is in the tables.
	The pensioners' incomes series has been based on data from the Family Resources Survey since 1994–95 and income information for FRS data is only available for the financial years 1994–95 to 2002–03
	Family Expenditure Survey (FES) before 1994–95. Due to methodological differences between the surveys, results from FES and FRS can not be directly compared. 
	
		Table A: The mean incomes of all pensioner units in England and Wales 1994–95 to 2002–03 £
		
			  1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Gross income 221 218 231 234 245 
			 Net BHC income 190 190 200 202 209 
			 Net AHC income 161 161 171 174 183 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 95 91 95 95 97 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Gross income 252 267 275 275 
			 Net BHC income 216 227 234 236 
			 Net AHC income 189 203 211 213 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 100 100 106 108 
		
	
	
		Table B: The mean incomes of pensioner couples in England and Wales 1994–95 to 2002–03 £
		
			  1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Gross income 319 312 334 341 352 
			 Net BHC income 271 268 288 289 296 
			 Net AHC income 242 240 259 262 273 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 127 121 126 127 129 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Gross income 359 384 396 383 
			 Net BHC income 302 319 331 324 
			 Net AHC income 277 299 310 305 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 132 132 139 142 
		
	
	
		Table C: The mean incomes of single pensioners in England and Wales 1994–95 to 2002–03 £
		
			  1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Gross income 160 160 166 166 176 
			 Net BHC income 140 141 146 146 153 
			 Net AHC income 111 112 117 118 126 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 75 73 76 74 77 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Gross income 181 192 194 200 
			 Net BHC income 159 167 170 175 
			 Net AHC income 131 141 145 150 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 78 79 84 85 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Incomes are presented as pounds per week. Figures for incomes are given in 2002–03 prices and rounded to the nearest pound.
	2. The pensioners' incomes series analysis is for pensioner units, which are either: single pensioners (defined as. people over state pension age) or pensioner couples (defined as married or cohabiting pensioners where the man is over state pension age.)
	3. BHC stands for "before housing costs' and AHC for "after housing costs'.
	4. State retirement pension includes the basic state pension, as well as earnings related-related component from SERPS or its predecessor graduated
	5. Net income is income from all sources deducting income tax and council tax. retirement benefit.
	Source:
	Tables A, B and C: Based on data from The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2002–03 (which is based on data from the Family Resources Survey).

Winter Fuel Payment

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each electoral ward in Dartford constituency claimed the winter fuel allowance in 2003–04; and how many claimed the allowance in 2004–05.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of people in each electoral ward in the Dartford constituency who received a winter fuel payment in winter 2003–04 is in the following table. Figures are not yet available for winter 2004–05 but we expect the numbers to be similar.
	
		
			 Ward Winter fuel payment recipients 
		
		
			 Bean and Darenth 850 
			 Brent 1,185 
			 Castle 70 
			 Farningham, Horton Kirby and South Darenth 990 
			 Fawkham and West Kingsdown 1,415 
			 Greenhithe 530 
			 Hartley and Hodsall Street 1,680 
			 Heath 1,180 
			 Joyce Green 785 
			 Joydens Wood 1,690 
			 Littlebrook 760 
			 Longfield, New Barn and Southfleet 1,635 
			 Newtown 840 
			 Princes 1,075 
			 Stone 935 
			 Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley 850 
			 Swanscombe 995 
			 Town 395 
			 West Hill 1,015 
			 Wilmington 1,010 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All wards based on Census Wards—those current as at April 2003.
	2. The wards of Farningham, Norton Kirby and South Darenth, Fawkham and West Kingsdown and Hartley and Hodsall Street are included as they are partially in the Dartford parliamentary constituency.
	3. WFP Data is the latest currently available, winter 2003–04.
	4. All benefit counts at ward level are rounded to a multiple of 5.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre

Workstep Scheme

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sheltered workshops approved under the Workstep programme are operating in each of the counties and metropolitan districts in the northern region.

Maria Eagle: Sheltered workshops are now referred to as supported factories/businesses. There are 11 Workstep supported factories/businesses operating in the Jobcentre Plus north east region. The north east region was formerly known as the as the Jobcentre Plus northern region and includes the Berwick-upon- Tweed constituency.
	Remploy has eight supported factory sites in the north east: Ashington (Northumberland); Gateshead (Tyne and Wear); Hartlepool (County Durham); Jarrow (Tyne and Wear); Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Newcastle); Spennymoor (County Durham); Stockton (Cleveland) and Sunderland (Sunderland).
	This is in addition to Palantine Beds in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (operated by Newcastle city council); Shaw Print in Northumberland (operated by Shaw Project) and Ayresome Industries in Middlesbrough (operated by Shaw Trust).
	Shaw Project also has a number of small businesses that operate as part of the factory element of Workstep, including a garden centre and landscape business. Shaw Project is a voluntary organisation covering the whole of the north east region and does not fall within any city/county council remit.

Charities (Employment Tribunals)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many volunteers have claimed (a) unfair dismissal, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination and (d) disability discrimination against charities at employment tribunals in the last 12 months; and what the average cost awarded in each category was.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Employment Tribunals Service does not keep statistics on particular types of claimants and respondents. However, volunteers are not currently protected as employees and would only be able to bring a claim before the Employment Tribunal if they could show that they were in or applying for employment.

Debt Recovery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down the Export Credits Guarantee Department unrecovered debt from each country on guarantees issued since May 1991 by project.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 17 January 2005
	Details of amounts owed to the Paris Club are not held at project level. Information on unrecovered claims, on a market basis, is included in the following table.
	
		
			 Market Unrecovered claims (£) 
		
		
			 Algeria 29,061,027.93 
			 Australia 8,577,275.61 
			 Belgium 23,616,042.47 
			 Brazil 2,360,561.00 
			 Canada 20,109,035.48 
			 Colombia 1,519,289.47 
			 Cote D'Ivoire 13,775,958.77 
			 Dominica 1,809,022.43 
			 Egypt 198,773.94 
			 Ghana 58,726,117.49 
			 Indonesia 636,563,315.97 
			 Kuwait 48,257.35 
			 Mexico 1,272,839.45 
			 Pakistan 6,734,135.32 
			 Paraguay 17,430.03 
			 Seychelles 1,139,513.57 
			 Switzerland 29,112,667.75 
			 Turkey 1,583,098.57 
			 Zimbabwe 90,257,122.92 
		
	
	Note:
	As at 31 December 2004.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated (a) administration and (b) programme costs of the Enterprise Capital Funds are in each year between 2004 and 2008.

Nigel Griffiths: The estimated costs for running the Enterprise Capital Funds are:
	
		
			£ million 
			  Aministration(41) Programme(42) 
		
		
			 2004–05 0.138 0.157 
			 2005–06 0.227 33.3 
			 2006–07 0.227 68.05 
			 2007–08 0.227 83 
		
	
	(41) Figures for 2004–05 are actual figures, those for 2005–06 onwards are based on estimates of staff deployment.
	(42) These are estimated figures and may vary depending on a number of factors, including the types of ECF selected during the bidding process.
	Note:
	The launch of the ECF programme remains dependent on EU state aid clearance.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the fund limit of the Enterprise Capital Funds is; and what criteria were used in setting the limit at this level.

Nigel Griffiths: Subject to approval from the European Union State aid authorities the Government intends that Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) will be able to raise a maximum of £25 million of government leverage alongside private investor's funds. The ECFs will be set an initial investment limit of £2 million into any one SMB. These limits were set following a full open consultation with potential investors, fund managers and business. The Government response to the consultation is set out in "Bridging the Finance Gap: next steps in improving access to growth capital for small business" (SBS and HM Treasury 2003). Key criteria were the availability of existing sources of finance and the needs of SMEs to obtain appropriate finance.

Enterprise Fund

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) programme and (b) administrative costs of the Enterprise Fund were in each year between 2001to 2004.

Nigel Griffiths: The programme and administrative costs associated for the Enterprise Fund for the years 2001 to 2004 are as follows:
	
		
			£ million 
			  Programme costs Administrative costs 
		
		
			 2001–02 39.2 n/a 
			 2002–03 74.7 1.5 
			 2003–04 83.759 l.6 
		
	
	The cost of administration in 2001–02 can only be identified at disproportionate cost.

Gas

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) associated gas and (b) non-associated gas has been (i) flared and (ii) vented (A) offshore and (B) onshore in each year for which figures are available; and what percentages of total (1) associated gas and (2) non-associated gas production this represented in each year.

Mike O'Brien: The following tables show annual UK offshore and onshore associated and dry (non-associated) gas production, and the percentages and amounts of gas vented and flared since 1979, the earliest date that combined records for seaward and landward flaring and venting have been kept.
	
		Table 1: Showing (by year since 1979)—Offshore gas production flaring and venting
		
			 Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45)) 
			  Associated gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Associated gas flare as percentage of associated gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Associated gas vent as percentage of associated gas production 
		
		
			 1979 7,207,480 6,528,344 90.58 0 0.00 
			 1980 7,245,871 4,580,540 63.22 0 0.00 
			 1981 10,334,941 4,238,218 41.01 0 0.00 
			 1982 13,935,654 4,017,198 28.83 0 0.00 
			 1983 16,346,156 3,734,138 22.84 19,985 0.12 
			 1984 21,925,657 3,399,136 15.50 329,176 1.50 
			 1985 24,327,363 2,677,625 11.01 338,428 1.39 
			 1986 25,865,305 2,155,514 8.33 379,269 1.47 
			 1987 27,935,387 2,256,414 8.08 339,341 1.21 
			 1988 32,180,666 2,335,759 7.26 312,769 0.97 
			 1989 30,906,713 2,485,698 8.04 185,187 0.60 
			 1990 28,888,023 2,732,865 9.46 97,453 0.34 
			 1991 31,221,148 2,476,022 7.93 56,641 0.18 
			 1992 35,924277 2,438,222 6.79 69,807 0.19 
			 1993 40,863,083 2,479,598 6.07 65,274 0.16 
			 1994 51,049,012 3,156,534 6.18 56,383 0.11 
			 1995 55,508,296 5,805,151 10.46 33,257 0.06 
			 1996 59,718,242 2,513,065 4.21 24,434 0.04 
			 1997 60,580,328 2,205,676 3.64 35,554 0.06 
			 1998 68,388,042 2,137,428 3.13 40,792 0.06 
			 1999 77,044,484 2,189,774 2.84 270,815 0.35 
			 2000 76,489,996 1,858,075 2.43 123,475 0.16 
			 2001 77,820,312 1,737,953 2.23 76,332 0.10 
			 2002 81,664,017 1,609,620 1.97 78,612 0.10 
			 2003 77,188,639 1,488,068 1.93 133,335 0.17 
			 2004 70,004,711 1,503,565 2.15 30,504 0.04 
		
	
	
		Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Dry gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Dry gas flare as percentage of dry gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Dry gas vent as percentage of dry gas production 
		
		
			 1979 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1980 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1981 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1982 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1983 13,272,437 409 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1984 31,590,534 1,154 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1985 27,113,729 2,645 0.01 0 0.00 
			 1986 35,731,870 3,904 0.01 316 0.00 
			 1987 45,190,900 5,348 0.01 699 0.00 
			 1988 24,606,205 13,749 0.06 3,508 0.01 
			 1989 22,635,957 10,563 0.05 1,042 0.00 
			 1990 36,061,609 6,971 0.02 5,025 0.01 
			 1991 41,193,035 6,527 0.02 13,151 0.03 
			 1992 39,582,866 1,318 0.00 17,171 0.04 
			 1993 41,357,994 950 0.00 8,491 0.02 
			 1994 36,421,239 3,501 0.01 12,615 0.03 
			 1995 43,432,286 23,571 0.05 15,058 0.03 
			 1996 54,752,478 40,564 0.07 12,190 0.02 
			 1997 57,264,114 34,720 0.06 10,989 0.02 
			 1998 54,538,890 31,095 0.06 12,616 0.02 
			 1999 53,863,045 54,099 0.10 118,020 0.22 
			 2000 63,276,387 5,562 0.01 5,428 0.01 
			 2001 60,223,440 7,962 0.01 5,208 0.01 
			 2002 50,508,230 10,520 0.02 4,568 0.01 
			 2003 52,104,164 7,582 0.01 3,472 0.01 
			 2004 47,058,723 72,491 0.15 3,022 0.01 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Showing (by year since 1979)—Onshore gas production flaring and venting  -- Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Associated gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Associated gas flare as percentage of associated gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Associated gas vent as percentage of associated gas production 
		
		
			 1979 1,595 1,595 100.00 0 0.00 
			 1980 7,848 7,570 96.46 0 0.00 
			 1981 5,888 1,933 32.83 0 0.00 
			 1982 7,257 1,432 19.73 0 0.00 
			 1983 10,197 3,634 35.64 0 0.00 
			 1984 11,053 5,363 48.52 0 0.00 
			 1985 15,817 9,134 57.75 0 0.00 
			 1986 37,165 18,418 49.56 0 0.00 
			 1987 59,709 19,230 32.21 65 0.11 
			 1988 75,047 21,636 28.83 301 0.40 
			 1989 87,203 18,141 20.80 1,313 1.51 
			 1990 158,580 80,943 51.04 2,140 1.35 
			 1991 311,038 41,749 13.42 16,696 5.37 
			 1992 347,107 29,049 8.37 12,513 3.60 
			 1993 343,413 39,957 11.64 13,174 3.84 
			 1994 409,066 38,210 9.34 11,421 2.79 
			 1995 452,801 36,896 8.15 16,842 3.72 
			 1996 408,847 48,477 11.86 14,526 3.55 
			 1997 398,918 30,613 7.67 14,808 3.71 
			 1998 410,141 27,199 6.63 23,423 5.71 
			 1999 357,094 24,525 6.87 26,470 7.41 
			 2000 264,071 20,912 7.92. 10,078 3.82 
			 2001 239,680 15,944 6.65 545 0.23 
			 2002 243,339 19,625 8.06 526 0.22 
			 2003 202,182 25,024 12.38 845 0.42 
			 2004 158,245 21,770 13.76 467 0.30 
		
	
	
		Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Dry gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Dry gas flare as percentage of dry gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Dry gas vent as percentage of dry gas production 
		
		
			 1979 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1980 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1981 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1982 A 0 — 0 — 
			 1983 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1984 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1985 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1986 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1987 420 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1988 3,948 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1989 3,923 0 0.00 200 5.10 
			 1990 3,265 0 0.00 126 3.86 
			 1991 2,964 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1992 10,826 524 4.84 0 0.00 
			 1993 63,547 49 0.08 0 0.00 
			 1994 41,761 37 0.09 0 0.00 
			 1995 39,506 41 0.10 0 0.00 
			 1996 60,579 61 0.10 0 0.00 
			 1997 97,425 0 0.00 28 0.03 
			 1998 123,098 6 0.00 369 0.30 
			 1999 132,706 0 0.00 376 0.28 
			 2000 526,409 101 0.02 377 0.07 
			 2001 475,963 227 0.05 80 0.02 
			 2002 355,701 1,382 0.39 0 0.00 
			 2003 417,530 310 0.07 0 0.00 
			 2004 292,285 384 0.13 0 0.00

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 20 solicitors have received most in fees paid by the Department under the Coalminers' Compensation Scheme; and how much each has been paid to date.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 26 January 2005
	As of 24 January 2005 the figures are:
	
		
			 Solicitor(43) Total solicitors costs(44)(£ million) 
		
		
			 Thompsons 61.6 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 52.3 
			 Raleys Solicitors 42.2 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 29.7 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 25.0 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 23.0 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 18.0 
			 Graysons 17.1 
			 Watson Burton 15.3 
			 Towells Solicitors 11.9 
			 Moss Solicitors 9.9 
			 Irwin Mitchell 9.6 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins & Martin 7.9 
			 Corries 6.4 
			 Kidd & Spoor Harper Solicitors 6.3 
			 The Legal Warehouse 6.2 
			 O H Parsons 6.2 
			 AMS Law 6.2 
			 Wake Smith 4.9 
			 Atteys 4.9 
		
	
	(43) "Top 20" solicitors are in descending order based on total solicitors costs paid on both COPD and VWF.
	(44) Solicitor's costs include VAT on solicitor's profit costs and disbursements, but exclude generic costs paid to solicitors involved in the setting up of the scheme and overview of its operation.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average settlement is for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger claims for the 20 solicitors who have submitted the greatest number of claims under the Coalminers' Compensation Scheme.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 26 January 2005
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Solicitor(45) COPD average settlement(46) VWF average settlement(46) 
		
		
			 Beresfords Solicitors 2,366 7,549 
			 Thompsons 10,145 10,052 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 10,241 8,294 
			 Raleys Solicitors 8,864 8,126 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 9,985 8,907 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 4,213 8,490 
			 Avalon 3,071 6,291 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 6,268 6,530 
			 Graysons 4,877 7,408 
			 Watson Burton 5,291 9,443 
			 Corries 3,068 7,910 
			 Moss Solicitors 4,953 7,867 
			 AMS Law 3,846 8,371 
			 Barber & Co. 2,839 — 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins & Martin 8,000 8,699 
			 Towells Solicitors 8,638 8,738 
			 Irwin Mitchell 10,443 9,261 
			 Kidd & Spoor Harper Solicitors 3,904 10,103 
			 Delta Legal 3,646 5,551 
			 The Legal Warehouse 3,306 6,286 
		
	
	(45) "Top 20" solicitors are in descending order and based on the number of claims received for both COPD and VWF combined. Claim receipts are those claims that are fully registered, i.e. exclude pool of claims accepted with minimum data, awaiting further information.
	(46) Average settlement value is derived from total damages paid on claims settled by payment.

Vehicle Pricing

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the difference in the purchase costs of new vehicles between the UK and (a) other European countries and (b) the USA.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In July 2004 my Department published "DTI Economic Paper No.9: The Benefits from Competition: Some illustrative examples", available at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/economics/economics paper9.pdf.
	The paper included an assessment of the effects of action by the competition authorities and changes in the competition regime on new car prices in the UK. In so doing the Report made reference to the reports of the European Commission on price differentials within the European Union, the latest of which was published on 29 July 2004 (www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/car sector/price diffs/).
	The DTI paper reported that new car prices in the UK had reduced, on average, by about 10 per cent. between April 2000 and October 2003 and that the European Commission research shows evidence that the disparity between new car prices in the UK and the rest of the Union had decreased.
	My Department has made no assessment of the difference in the purchase costs of new vehicles between the UK and the USA.

Brixton Prison

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received on employer's liability insurance cover for prison education staff at HMP Brixton; and what measures are taken to ensure that Reed Education adheres to employment law.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has not received any representations concerning this matter. Officials at the Department for Education and Skills investigated an allegation that employer's liability insurance for prison education staff at HMP Brixton had expired on 1 December 2004. It transpired that this was not the case and that during the period of 1 December 2004 to 30 November 2005, the education staff at HMP Brixton were covered by employer's liability insurance.
	HMPS ensure that contractors take out liability insurance of £5 million. HMP Brixton's contract with Reed Learning states that, "The contractor shall hold employer's liability insurance in respect of relevant staff in accordance with a legal requirement for the time being in force."

Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school-leavers in the Easington constituency went on to (a) higher education, (b) further education and (c) full-time employment in each year since 2001.

Kim Howells: Information on 18-year-olds entering HE is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and is available at constituency level. The number of 18-year-olds entering HE from Easington constituency for each year since 2001 is given in Table 1. The numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.
	
		Table 1: The number of 18-year-olds entering HE from Easington constituency since 2001
		
			 End of calendar year Number of people 
		
		
			 2001 125 
			 2002 155 
			 2003 120 
		
	
	Estimates of the percentage of 16-year-olds participating in education and LSC funded work based learning (WBL) are not available below local education authority (LEAs) level. The number of 16-year-olds participating in full-time education for end 2001 (2001/02 academic year) in Durham LEA was 4,200 (rounded to the nearest hundred) or 66 per cent. of the age group. The number of these young people participating in education and WBL was 5,500 or 87 per cent. Estimates for end 2002 and end 2003 (provisional) are due to be published in March 2005.
	Information on 16 to 19-year-olds in employment (both full- and part-time) is available at parliamentary constituency level from the Office for National Statistics. Table 2 shows the numbers and percentages in Easington constituency since 2001. However, sample sizes are very small due to the narrow age band and small geographic area. Therefore, the employment rate is volatile and care should be taken when interpreting the figures. The numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, with the rates calculated from unrounded numbers.
	
		Table 2: Percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds in employment in Easington constituency
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 2001–02 4,000 73.1 
			 2002–03 3,000 49.0 
			 2003–04 (52)n/a (52)n/a 
		
	
	(52) The employment rate for 2003–04 is not available as it would be "disclosive", as it is based on a sample of less than 3.

Further Education Funding

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been spent (a) per school sixth former and (b) per student in a college of further education in (i) England and (ii) Buckinghamshire in each year since the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council.

Kim Howells: The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post -16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council. The Department does not collect information on the level of per capita funding for students in school sixth-forms and further education colleges at either the local or national level. Mark Haysom, the Learning and Skills Council's chief executive will write to the hon. Member with details of the level of per capita funding for students in (a) school sixth- forms and (b) further education colleges in England and Buckinghamshire for each year since the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council.

In-house Magazines

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure on the production of in-house publications within my Department is set out as follows.
	It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to separately identify spend on internal publications prior to April 1999.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Spend on internal publications 
		
		
			 1999–2000 67.9 
			 2000–01 89.8 
			 2001–02 83.7 
			 2002–03 95.1 
			 2003–04 95.0 
			 2004–05 80.7 
		
	
	Financial information for financial year 2004–05, reflects current expenditure (at 1 February 2005.

Prisoners (Internet Access)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  which European countries her Department consulted on how they provided internet access to prisoners during the planning of the strategy produced by Graham Connellon;
	(2)  what the outcome was of the work conducted by Graham Connellon on providing internet access to prisoners; and if she will place a copy of the strategy in the Library.

Ivan Lewis: Website research was undertaken into the French, German and Swedish Prison Services in preparation for working up the draft strategy.
	Currently a pilot to validate the technical solution has been defined and agreed. It is planned to commence at HMP Leyhill in the near future. The eight week pilot is being managed by HM prisons headquarters. The pilot will consist of a suite of terminals with access to approximately 10 web sites. If the pilot is successful, it is anticipated that a full implementation project will be defined and delivered and the strategy for this will be made available in the public domain.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  on how many occasions her Department's Ministers used the Queen's flight in each of the past five years;
	(2)  how much money her Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Derek Twigg: The publicly available Cabinet Office guidance, "Travel by Ministers", makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or Parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service.
	Neither the Queen's flight service nor private charter flights have been used by any Ministers in the Department for Education and Skills, and its predecessor, for domestic travel in the past five years.
	In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	All Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Student Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Student Loan Company expenditure there has been on (a) grants, (b) income contingent loans, (c) tuition fees, (d) hardship and access to learning, (e) fee waiver and (f) opportunity bursaries in each year since 1999–2000 at (i) Northumbria and (ii) Newcastle universities.

Kim Howells: Data on Student Loan Company (SLC) expenditure paid to students at Northumbria university and the university of Newcastle upon Tyne in respect of grants, income-contingent loan cash outlay, tuition fees and hardship loans for academic years1999/00 to 2004/05 (provisional) are shown in the following table.
	
		SLC expenditure on grants1, 2, income-contingent loan cash outlay(55), tuition fees(56), and hardship loans(56) paid to students studying at Northumbria university and the university of Newcastle upon Tyne(57)—Academic years 1999/00 to 2004/05(provisional) £000
		
			  1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 5 
		
		
			 Northumbria:   
			 Grants 456 728 955 1,049 671 2,922 
			 Loans 17,558 24,169 25,360 27,255 31,812 33,225 
			 Fees 3,087 3,995 4,661 4,939 4,986 5,058 
			 Hardship loans 6 120 120 122 124 106 n/a 
			 Total(60) 21,220 29,011 31,097 33,368 37,575 41,205 
			
			 Newcastle:   
			 Grants 62 102 206 243 196 1,891 
			 Loans 13,322 20,392 24,083 26,492 31,842 33,364 
			 Fees 1,727 2,471 3,236 3,431 3,612 3,494 
			 Hardship loans 6 46 71 101 68 54 n/a 
			 Total(60) 15,156 23,037 27,627 30,233 35,704 38,749 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable
	(54) Up to and including academic year 2003/04, data on grant expenditure for student support scheme students relates to additional allowances/grants available to eligible students for extra help depending on their circumstances, e.g. students with disabilities, students with dependents, single parent students, those incurring certain travel costs, and those who have recently left care. In addition, data for 2004/05 include expenditure on the Higher Education grant which was introduced for new students in 2004/05 to help cover the cost of participating in Higher Education.
	(55) Students domiciled in England and Wales.
	(56) Students domiciled in England, Wales and the EU.
	(57) Data also includes planned expenditure.
	(58) Provisional (as at 4 February 2005).
	(59) Hardship loans have been discontinued in 2004/05 following the introduction of the Higher Education Grant.
	(60) Totals may not add due to rounding.
	The rise in SLC Grant expenditure in 2004/05 is due partly to the introduction of the Higher Education Grant which was introduced for new students in 2004/05 to help cover the cost of participating in Higher Education. It is also due to a change in accounting arrangements whereby prior to 2004/05, local education authorities were responsible for paying certain grants and allowances. In 2004/05, the SLC are responsible for paying all grants and allowances hence the increase in the SLC expenditure.
	Hardship/Access to learning fund expenditure, fee waivers and opportunity bursaries are paid by HEFCE. Data on these expenditures are shown in the following table.
	
		Hardship/Access to learning fund allocations, fee waivers and opportunity bursaries allocations: Northumbria university and the university of Newcastle upon Tyne—Academic years 1999/00 to 2004/05 £000
		
			  1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 Northumbria:   
			 Hardship/access to learning fund 1,010 746 799 973 1,004 659 
			 Fee waivers n/a 52 47 48 58 12 
			 Opportunity bursaries(61) n/a n/a 111 200 294 154 
			 Total(62) 1,010 797 957 1,191 1,357 824 
			
			 Newcastle:   
			 Hardship/access to learning fund 492 616 597 545 484 407 
			 Fee waivers n/a 2 7 12 14 5 
			 Opportunity bursaries(61) n/a n/a 66 82 163 80 
			 Total(62) 492 617 670 639 661 491 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable
	(61) There were no opportunity bursaries for new students in 2004/05 as the bursaries were replaced by the Higher Education Grants introduced for new students in 2004/05. Figures for 2004/05 relate to continuing bursary instalments only.
	(62) Totals may not add due to rounding.